The present invention is in the field of hemostatic and acid etch compositions or agents, more particularly hemostatic compositions and agents for use in providing hemostasis in oral tissues and etching compositions used in etching teeth.
In the course of performing certain dental procedures it is often desirable to use a hemostatic agent in order to stop the bleeding of oral tissues. For example, during dental reconstruction or preparation of dental crowns it is common for dentists to cut gingival or gum tissue in order to fully expose the tooth prior to taking an impression of the tooth. In order to make an accurate impression of the tooth it is advantageous for it to be clean and dry. For this reason, a hemostatic agent may be used to reduce or eliminate bleeding so that a more accurate impression of the patient's tooth can be taken.
In the case of invasive dental procedures, such as preparing the tooth to receive a crown or a root canal, enamel and dentin may be removed to expose the pulp chamber. A hemostatic agent helps stop or slow bleeding of the exposed pulp. Hemostatic agents of various types have been used successfully to stop or slow the bleeding of oral tissues during a variety of dental or oral procedures. However, prior art hemostatic agents tend to be quite acidic (i.e., typically having a pH of about 1-2), with a main component of the agent or composition being an alumina compound, such as aluminum chloride. Such agents are generally unpleasant tasting for the patient and care must be taken to limit the amount of excess material the patient may swallow.